Venetian blind operating mechanism



June 24, 1952 BURNS VENETIAN BLIND OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 19, 1949 JNVENTOR. 5 d (j 502 176.

ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 1952 2,601,500 i VENETIAN BLIND OPERATING MECHANISM Fred J. Burns, Saginaw, Mich., assignor to The Columbia Mills, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y.

Application December 19, 1949, Serial No. 133,792

1 Claim. 1 This invention relates to Venetian blind operating mechanism and more particularly to means for mounting and operating the head member of the blind.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design a Venetian blind provided with simple, practical, and inexpensive means for attaching the head member in position and for rotation of said head member to tilt the blind slats and/or raise and lower them as desired.

Another object is to provide readily operable means mounted on the supporting bracket whereby the lift cords are pressed firmly into engagement with the cord sheave, so that the operation of the head member will be both smooth and positive.

A further object is to design a machine from which the head member can be easily and quickly removed or attached, and which firmly holds the blind at any set position of adjustment.

A further object still is to design a combination cord sheave stop by means of which the blind slat assembly can be tilted, raised and lowered from a single cord.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then consists of the means hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim, the annexed drawing and following description setting forth, in detail, certain means and one mode of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means and mode illustrating, however, but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an inside, face-elevational view of the operating mechanism of a Venetian blind with the head member omitted, and the stop bar in engaged position.

Fig. 2 is a transverse, fragmentary, sectional, front-elevational view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing the head member in position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with one of the sheave cheek plates removed and the stop bar in disengaged position.

Fig. 4 is an edge-elevational, detail showing the cord sheave.

The instant invention is directed to an operating mechanism wherein the raising and tilting is accomplished and controlled by a single cord or loop which hangs within easy reach of the person operating the blind.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing in which I have shown one embodiment of my invention, the blind-operating mechanism com- 2 prises a pair of brackets 6, only one of which is shown in the instant application, as all of the operating mechanism is mounted thereon. This bracket 6 can be of any desired shape, having an upper turned flange l, and openings 8 are provided in said bracket to accommodate screws (not shown) for securing it in posiiton.

A centrally disposed pin 9 is mounted in the bracket 6, and a cord sheave S is journaled thereon, said sheave comprising spaced-apart cheek plates II and I2 having a plurality of thin disks I3 interposed therebetween, these disks and cheek plates being suitably bored to accommodate the pin 9, the outer periphery of the disks being formed with a plurality of relatively sharp spacedapart teeth l4 over which the tilt cord C is trained.

Spaced-apart openings l5 are formed in the face of the cheek plate l2, said openings extending into said disks and accommodate a pair of gudgeon pins I6 which are mounted in the end of the head member or roller R on which the slat assembly (not shown) is mounted.

The outer periphery or rim of the cheek plate H is toothed as at H, and a bar stop [8 is pivotally mounted on the bracket by means of a pin or rivet Hi, this bar being curved as shown, and a projectin tooth 20 is formed on the inner edge of the bar for positive engagement with the toothed cheek plate II when it is desired to hold the head member roller in adjusted position.

The lower end of the stop bar is formed with laterally projecting ears 2| and the tilt cord C travels therebetween, said bar being swung about the pivot point I9 as the cord is pulled outwardly at an angle to disengage the tooth from the cheek plate II and the tooth is swung into engagement when the cord is swung inwardly to- Wards the blind, all as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing.

The cord sheave S is of limted diameter, consequently, it will be apparent that contact of the cord C with the periphery of the sheave S is also limited, and inasmuch as the cord is light and there is no added weight thereon, it is advantageous to press it firmly into engagement with the sheave, and I therefore punch a tab 22 in the side wall of the bracket 6 adjacent the upper flange l and bend it laterally into alignment with said flange, all as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. I then provide a U-shaped spring 23 and mount it, legs down, between the tab 22 and the bracket flange "l, the horizontal section being bowed as at 24 so that it must be sprung into position, thus forcing the legs 25 inwardly so that they resiliently press and bear against the tilt cord C, all as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing. This forces the cord tightly against the outer toothed periphery of the sheave 5, so that the teeth l4 bite into the cord to eliminate slippage and provide for positive operation of the head member, and inasmuch as this cord serves to tilt as well as raise and lower-the slat assembly this is of extreme importance. The spacing of the g'udgeon pins I6 provides ample leverage for rotation of the head roller R, and the entire assembly can be assembled on the bracket'prior to its mounting.

From the foregoing description, it will be as parent that I have perfected a very simple, tom pact and substantial head member operating mechanism composed of relatively few parts for the purpose described, all of which can bereadily manufactured and assembled. What r'claim is: v H

Ina Venetianblind head'roller mounting and operating" sheave assembly adapted to be flour n'al'ed ongapm-onthe inner face of a-Venetian blind" bracket; the" combination comprising an outer cheekplate; stop engagingtee'th on the outer periphery thereof, an "inner cheek plate spaced therefrom, a plurality of disks of lesser diameter than said cheek plates interposed between and tightly connecting said check plates,

said disks bein formed with sharply defined,

FRED J. BURNS.

REFERENCES CITED 'Thefollowi'ng references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,772,493 Leeper Aug. 12; 1930 2,015,215 Campbell Sept. 24; .1935 2,108,939 Lewis Feb; 22,1938

' 2,117,195 McKerlie May 10,1938 '2,29fl;627 Loehr se txzfs', {1942 2,552,956 Ganter -May 15,1951 

